A California Baptist University Publication

Heading finishes strong for basketball

Reagan Lee | Banner Jordan Heading, senior kinesiology major, keeps the ball away from guard Evan Leonard during a game against the
University of California, Irvine. CBU men’s basketball is currently 15-11 overall and 6-6 in conference games.

Over the week of Feb. 4–10, Heading was named Player of the Week of the Western Athletic Conference.

Heading said this was a great recognition, and getting two wins for the week over the University of the Missouri – Kansas City and Chicago State University was a “good time.”

Heading averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He tied his season high against UMKC with 24 points.

Rick Croy, head coach of men’s basketball, said Heading is courageous and improved not only every year, but every season.

“The guy has been unbelievable,” Croy said.

Croy added he admires Heading’s improvement, both as a player and as a leader for the team.

“By the end of last year I thought he was one of the best players in the country in his position at the Division II level,” Croy said. “And look at him again this year — he’s one of the very best guards in the WAC.”

Heading said basketball has been a part of his life for as long as he could remember.

“My parents told me when I was eight months old I would just sit in front of the fridge and bounce a ball against it for two hours at times. They never really had to watch me,” Heading said. “It was always just what I wanted to do.”

Heading said he has developed as both a player and a person while being part of CBU’s basketball team.

“I’ve learned from this coaching staff and from this program how to apply yourself 100 percent and really go after things day in and day out,” Heading said. “What it really means to compete on and off the floor.”

Thursday, the night before Heading’s senior day, Croy stopped the music at the end of the game, grabbing the microphone and asked the fans to come out and show their support for Heading and the five years he has contributed at CBU.

After college, Heading said he hopes to continue playing basketball as long as he can and is looking forward to seeing what comes next.

For the third time, Jarrod Olson is named conference Coach of the Year, with this one coming in @WACsports. CBU went 18-11, 11-5 in the WAC to take second place in the league after being projected to take seventh or eighth in the conference preseason polls.